Pocketknife



June 1'6, 1942. w, D, wlLBUR POGKETKNIFE Filed May 20, 1941 me/whom Patented June 16, 1942 UNITED STATES iiesT-ENT 'OFFICE POGKE-'IKNIFE Wallace D. Wilbur, Boise, Idaho Application May 20, 1941, Serial No. 394,346 7 Claims. (ol. 3'0-4161) The invention aims to provide a new and im proved pocketknife in which novel provision is made for locking the blades whenever required, for example, when said blades are closed and opened, and the construction is preferably such as to permit any blade to also be locked in one or more partly opened positions.

Another object is to provide a pocketknife having a novel handle formed from a single metal stamping.

A still further aim is to provide the handle with novel means to limit the closing movement of the blades. Y

Yet another aim is to provi-de anovel connection between the handle and a chain or the like for connecting the knife with the owner, the connecting means being readily disengageable from the knife when the latter is to be used.

With the foregoing and minorobjects in view. the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accom-- panying drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away.

Figures 2 and 3 are edge views looking in opposite directions.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

longitudinal sectional Figure 5 is a further enlarged horizontal sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary disassembled perspective view showing two of the blades and the hubs thereof. v

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

The entire handle I!! is preferably formed from a single metal stamping, said handle having parallel side walls I I integrally connected at one end by an end wall I2, the other ends of said side w-alls being free of connection with each other. At one edge, each side wall II is provided with an integral longitudinal flange I3, the two flanges cooperating in forming a back edge wall for the handle. At one end, these flanges I3 terminate in inwardly spaced relation with the disconnected ends of the side walls II, and these ends of the flanges are provided with inwardly bent lugs I4 which forms stops to limit the closing movement of the knife blades. In the present disclosure, there is a large blade l5, a small blade I6, and a hook-like blade I'I, and all of these blades are pivotally mounted upon a single pivot bolt I8` which may be of the form shown more particularly in Fig. 5, or of any other desired construction.

A longitudinal partition I9 is provided in the handle Ill, said partition being between the blades I5 and II in the present disclosure. 'I'his partition which takes the place of the conventional longitudinal partition between blades, is slidably mounted and acts as a latch member for holding any of theblades in any of a number of positions. The end of the lpartition I9 toward the free ends of the blades, is provided with a lprojecting stem or shank 20 which passes slidably through an opening 2| in thevend wall I2, the outer end `of said stern. or shank being equipped with a suitn able knob 22; ASurrounding the stem or shank 29 is a coiled compression spring 23 which normally slides the partition I9 longitudinally in one direction to the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position, the partition locks the knife blades due to construction hereinafter described, and when the knob 22 is pushed outwardly, for example, with the thumb and forenger of the left hand while the knife is lying blade-up upon the palm of said left hand, it moves the partition I9 longitudinally to an abnormal position in which the blades are all released and any one may be entirely opened or opened to any of a number of intermediate` positions. When the knob 22 is then released, the spring 23 restores the partition I9 to its normal position and this movement again locks `the' totally or -partially opened blade and locks the otherlblades closed. Normally the three blades are locked in closed positions by the partition.

The pivoted end of the large blade I5 is provided with a flat-sided hub 24 (see Figs, 4 and 5), said hub being polygonal and preferably hexagonal. This hub is received in a longitudinal slot '25 formed in'y the partition I9, whenthe blade I5 is fully closed or is in any open position in which it is to be locked. Thus, the partition I9 and its slot 25 lock the hub 24 andas this hub is integral or otherwise rigidly secured to the blade I5, this bla-de will be locked. The slot 25, however, is formed with an enlarged end 26 and when the partition I9 is sli-d to the left from the position shown in Fig. 4, the hub 24 is received in this enlarged slot end and may turn therein to -permit opening of the blade, or closing thereof.

In the present disclosure, the hub 24 projects from the blade I5 a distance corresponding to about one-third of the thickness of the slidablg partition I9. Another third of this thickness accommodates a second hub 21 on the blade I1, said hub 21 being preferably a duplicate of said hub 24. Between the two hubs 24 and 21, is a head 28 on one end of a tubular hub 29 with which the blade I6 is provided. This tubular hub passes through the hub 21 and the pivoted end of the blade I1 and is suitably connected with the blade I6, for instance, by providing said blade and hub 29 with interengaging lugs 3D and notches 3l. The head 28 and hub 21, like the hub 24, are receivable in the slot 25 when their respective blades are to be locked, and are receivable in the enlarged slot end 26 when their' respective blades are to be opened or closed. Thus, the single latch member or partition I9 will lock any of the blades in desired positions.

In the present showing, the side wall of the handle I0, adjacent the small blade I6, is formed with an opening 32 through which a shank 33 and a head 34 on said shank, may pass, said head and shank forming portions of a coupling member whose outer end is preferably formed by an eye 35. This eye is connected with one end of a chain or the like 36 for connecting the knife with the owners belt or other part of his apparel. When the blade I6 is closed, it partly overlaps the opening 32 and so engages the shank 33 and its head 34 that withdrawal of said head and shank through the opening 32, is prohibited (see Fig. 6). However, when the blade I6 is partly opened, the shank 33 and head 34 may be withdrawn from the opening 32, thus disconnecting the knife from the chain or the like 36.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferred features have been illustrated, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

1. In a pocket knife having a handle, at least two blades in said handle, means pivotally connecting said blades with said handle, and a longitudinal partition in said handle between said blades; means mounting said partition for sliding longitudinally of said handle, a spring acting against said partition for sliding the same endwise in one direction to a normal position, a knob connected with said partition for sliding it endwise in the other direction to an abnormal position, and coacting means on said blades and partition for locking said blades when said partition occupies said normal position and for releasing said blades when said partition occupies said abnormal position.

2. In a pocket knife having a handle, at least two blades in said handle, means pivotally connecting said blades with said handle, and a longitudinal partition in said handle between said` blades; means mounting said partition for sliding longitudinally of said handle, a spring acting against said partition for sliding the same endwise in one direction to a normal position, a knob connected with said partition for sliding it endwise in the other direction to an abnormal position, and flat-sided hubs on the sides of said blades toward said partition, said partition being provided with a single flat-sided longitudinal slot which receives both of said `hubs and locks said blades when said partition occupies said normal position, said slot having 'an enlarged end which receives said hubs and permits them to turn when said partition occupies said abnormal position.

3. In a pocket knife, a handle, two blades in said handle, a pivot passing through said blades and said handle, a nat-sided hub on one side of one of said blades, a tubular hub projecting from the same side of the other of said blades, said tubular hub extending turnably through said one blade and its hub and having a flat-sided head lying against the latter, and a latch member movably mounted in said handle and engagedV normally with said fiat-sided hub and head to lock both blades, said latch member being disengageable from said flat-sided hub and head to allow opening of said blades.

4. In a pocket knife, a handle, a blade pivoted therein and having a polygonal hub at its pivoted end, and a latch mounted in said handle and engageable with said polygonal hub when the blade is in different positions with respect to the handle.

5. In a pocket knife, a handle comprising parallel side walls xedly connected at one end by an end wall and free of connection at their other ends, longitudinal flanges on one edge of said side walls jointly forming a back wall, a blade, and a pivot mounting said blade between said other ends of said side walls, said walls having openings snugly receiving said pivot, whereby said pivot will hold said other ends of said Walls against relative movements and will, therefore, hold the inner edges of said longitudinal flanges in xed abutting relation with each other.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5; said flanges terminating short of said other ends of said side Walls, one of said flanges having an inwardly bent lug on one end forming a stop to limit the closing movement of said blade.

7. In a pocketknife having a handle, at least two blades in said handle, means pivotally connecting said blades with said handle, and a longitudinal partition in said handle between said blades; means mounting said partition for sliding longitudinally of said handle from a normal position to an abnormal position, and coacting means on said blades and partition for locking said blades when said partition occupies said normal position and forreleasing said blades when said partition is moved to said abnormal position.

WALLACED. WILBUR. 

